Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles No CZ love?

There's a lot of talk about CRF rifles, but they have a tough time in the marketplace. Older designs tend to be heavy and expensive compared to push-feed, especially push-feeds with detachable magazines that transfer the feeding control to the magazine instead of action rails that require adjusting to the cartridge. Lots of shooters don't give a rats ass about CRF, and prefer the DMs over staggered-feed boxes. Ruger Hawkeyes are the only inexpensive CRFs left in the new market, and that line has been cut back in favor of the RARs. The 550s have gone up in price beyond what many are willing to pay. So have M70s.

Good push-feeds work well enough that nobody's getting eaten or stomped by critters due to their rifle malfunctioning, the main reason people supposedly prefer the CRFs. Lots of Mausers, pre-64s, Rugers, and such are available on the used market for fussy old guys (like me) stuck in the past.

Like somebody said, the 557s face a lot of competition in the PF market. I'm not sure they have anything special to offer over what's already available. I like the 550s, but will take a good FN, German-made Mauser, or old Brno over one any day.

It's a generational thing. The younger shooters usually prefer the newer styles of cheaper rifles and could care less about CRF. Admittedly I'm an old fart but I'm astounded at the gizmo guns on the LGS shelves.

The Carbine version of the 557 with sights is about the only one of the new line that interests me.


Having been quite happy with the various 452, 527 and 550 rifles that I have owned. The non-magnum 550s are a bit on the heavy side for my taste.

I too prefer the older BRNO rifles by a large margin. My next .375+ bore rifle will be a BRNO if I can find the right one.

I really wish that McMillan would get on board and adapt their Compact/Hunter's Edge stock to accommodate the CZ lines.

When did the 550 get discontinued?

Light weight being all the rage, our nice blue steel and walnut guns are growing scarce.

I have no problem with the 550's...well built rifles, wish I had a couple more..

I have no mountains to climb in SE Georgia so the 8+ lb rifle is no big deal..


geo

550 - Great rifle if weight is not a concern

557 - Why would I care about another companies attempt to produce another cost savings rifle?

It's been several yrs sine I handled any CZ rifles. Can't remember mod #s.

The ones I looked at and handled left me blaaa in the looks dept. and Oh My!! in the weight dept.

Don't know anything about newer mods. I would check them out but I'm not really in the market now.

Jerry

Only the weight complaint here. My CZ550FS in 6.5 Swede is super accurate (<1.0" with factory loads and <0.5" with my handloads). Set trigger is sweet. Took a few tries to find the "right" scope. Got it back when you could get them <$500 NIB.

Can some of you CZ experts give us some info on this 550FS, 7x57. I traded for it and the previous owner didn't know the details. It doesn't have 550 or import info stamped on the receiver. In fact, there isn't much at all stamped on the gun. I'm thinking it may have been a Euro gun brought into the country by a soldier, etc.

BTW, it's about the slickest Mauser action I've ever cycled.

DF

Oh yeah DF, That's one hell of a Mannlicher.

I will be contacting CZ (Europe) directly to get to the story of that rifle. Glad it will stay in good company.

That made me laugh. Subtle humor at its best. Well done cwh2.

DF looks similar to mine except for the spoon..not much in the way of markings on mine except Made in Czech Republic and CZ 550 on the left side of the action.

Nice. Does that bolt handle bang your finger?

I've always loved my CZ 550 American. I liked it a little less after getting a Ruger M77 Mk. II honestly. Mainly because I like the ergonomics of the Ruger stock better.

My small gripes with it are:
1) It's a bit heavy.
2) It's stock is too club-ish and could be made more svelte.
3) The trigger is a little creepy, but the single-set feature is nice.

I'd like to have the stock worked over by someone with talent for it. The that would help with #2 and a bit with #1.

Nope.

That's another reason why I like it.

Have you guys seen a grey metal treatment like this on a factory CZ? I don't think it's aftermarket.

Here's what I do to bolt knobs that do bump my finger.

DF

I love my CZ 452 American in .22lr. Couldn't ask for a better setup for $280 that I spent years ago. I liked it so much I bought a CZ550 American in .243. The theory of owning it was more desirable than owning it as it was:

- Heavy and the stock felt like a club
- 1/10 twist barrel wouldn't stabilize 100 gr bullets
- The magazine did not allow for top loading
- Length of pull was extremely long
- Action is a long action

The 550 will however shoot Sierra 85 gr HPBTs into a ragged cloverleaf hole which I can't say for my Remington 700s. The thought is re-barreling into a 6.5x55 seems like it would be a win/win with the action size and being a mauser action.

These are very neat guns. Very accurate and quiet. Don't seem to see them often. I know a shop that has a used one if anyone is interested

I've heard stories about this series, heard it was an order from some overseas concern that CZ got stuck with and put them on the market.

If anyone knows anything about these guns with 29" barrels and "2500" stamped on the barrel, please share with us.

I'm not much into bright red gunstocks, but the birch stocks I saw on unpainted ones, made the paint job very desirable...

I picked it up a number of years ago at a local gun show, in fact, traded an air rifle for it. I had the choice of this one, used/painted or a new one in the box.

It was an easy decision...

Besides, the trigger had been nicely tuned.

DF

Another feature that makes the "spoon", butter knife bolt handle so neat. It never gets even close to the scope ocular and the Zeiss has a big ocular.

The way it's positioned when open isn't too unlike a 60* bolt throw, certainly not what you'd expect with a 90* CRF Mauser.

DF

I have a CZ550 that started life as a .458 WM that I had re-chambered to .458 Lott. Great gun that is a joy to shoot, very accurate and handles recoil extremely well, and holds 5 down. Not much not to like.